Airship.



v R. P. HALL.

AIRSHIP APPLICATION FILED APR.9, 1910.

Patented May 23, 1911.

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AIRSHIP.

APPLLOATION FILED APR.9.1910.

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Patented May 23, 1911.

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AIRSHIP.

APPLICATION FILED APR.9, 1910.

Patented May 23, 1911.

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R. P HALL. AIRSHIP.

APPLICATION FILED APR.9, 1910.

Patented May 23, 1911.

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:- TED @TATFE PATENT @FFIQE.

ROBERT P. HALL, OF SEARCHLIG-HT. NEVADA.

AIBSHIP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May as, 1911.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT P. HALL, a citizen of the United Statesof America, residing at Searchlight, in the county of Clark and'State of Nevada, have invented new and useful Improvements in Airships, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to air ships, and the invention in its broad sense is applicable. to machines that are either lighter or heavier than'air.

For. the purpose of illustration-I have chosen to show the invention as applied to an air ship equipped with gas tanks to assist in ascending, but mechanical propulsion means are also provided to assist in rising and in directing the course of flight.

The invention has 'for its objects to provide an air ship of a construction whereby it will be adapted to passenger traliic, the constr-uctiomand arrangement of parts being such as to provide the necessary accommodations tor this purpose.

A further: object of the invention is to provide simple and improved propulsion means consisting of propellers driven by mechanical motive power and adapted for adjustment to guide the machine in its flight upward, laterally or at an angle to the horizontal, as may be desired.

A further object of the invention is to construct an air ship which shall be particularly adapted to alight u.on the water and which, when necessary, s all be capable-of being navigated upon the water.

With these and other ends in view which will readily appear as the nature of the invention is better-understood, the same conslsts 1n the improved construction and novel arrangement and combination of parts "Which will be hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the, accompanying drawings has been illustrated a simple and preferred form of the invention, it being, however, understood that no limitation is necessarily made to the precise structural details therein exhibited, but that changes, alterations and modifications within the scope of the invention may be resorted to when desired.

In the drawings-Figure 1 is a top'plan view of an air ship constructed in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a sec-' tional elevation taken on the. line 3-3 in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail view of a set of propellers and the supporting andadjusting means for the same. Fig. 5 is a detail view, showing a pair of propellers in connection with the supporting means for the same. Fig. 6 is a plan view of one of the plates from which the propellers are constructed. Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken on the line 7--7 in Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is'a perspective detail view of a portion of one of the propellers.

In the construction of the improved air ship, a suitable frame structure is provided in the making of which metal such as steel and aluminum, wood and other materials may be employed, said frame structure, which is generally designated by 1, being adapted to support a series of gas tanks 2, 2 which are preferably of cylindrical shape; said tanks being disposed in pairs, and said pairs being arranged in vertical series, as will be clearly seen in Fig. 3. These cylindrical gas tanks are internally reinforced, as

indicated in Fig. 3, by spokes 3 radiating from a hub 4 and connected by longitudinal brace bars 5, whereby the tanks are strongly braced. against collapse from any cause. For further security some of the gas tanks are inclosed within casings 6, and. others, especially the bottom ones and the pair arranged nearest the top are provided with internally braced rectangular extensions 7. The entire series of gas tanks are strongly secured together by means of the frame structure, the tanks in each pair being suitably spaced apart so as to leave room for certain purposes to be hereinafter set forth. Midway of the series, the tanks are also separated by a horizontal space, indicated at 8, said space being specially provided for the purpose of affording ample passage accommodation. I

The lowermost tanks 2 are preferably beveled adjacent to their ends, as shown at 9 in Fig. 2, so as to present the appearance of twin boat hulls which, if the machine should descend upon the water,will serve to float the structure and permit the same to be navi gated. The space intermediate the bottom tanks 2 which is accessible by means of a stairway 10 from the floor 11 above is equipped with bearings 12 wherein a shaft 13 carrying a propulsion screw 14 is located, said shaft being capable of being driven from a motorlo upon the floor 11, which is arranged intermediate the second series of tanks from the bottom. A stairway 16 leads from the floor 11 to the main deck where accommodations are provided for passengers, separate compartments being provided to serve as' staterooms, lavatories, dining room and the like. The space A intermediate the floor 11 and the main deck may be regarded as the engine room, where the motors for the propulsion of the. craft are containers 24 and 25 extend forwardly and rearwardly from the frame structure of the deyice; the said containers being illustrated .as' being provided with tubular wells 26 and 27 through which elevator cars 28 and 29 may be lowered or raised, as may be re; quired, for the purpose of taking on or discharging passengers, provis1ons, fuel or the like. These elevator cars are provided with hoisting ropes 30, 31, each being operated by a Windlass 32, 33 driven by a suitable motor 34, 35.

An. auxiliary gas tank 36, which'is supported upon the uppermost gas tanks 2 where it is anchored in such a manner as to be readily detached or cast 0%, is equipped with a netting 37 serving to support a para chute of large dimensions, said parachute, which is shown at 38, being suitably folded and accommodated inthe space between the twouppermost gas tanks, as will be best seen in Fig. 2. .In the event of accident to the craft causing it to descend with more than desirable rapidity, the gas tank 36 may be cast looseyand it will ascend, carrying with it the parachute which will quickly become expanded or unfolded, the guy ropes of said parachute being connected with the frame structure of the machine, the descent of which will thus be checked.

Extending laterally from the sides of the main frame structure are frames B, of rectangular shape, saidjrames being for the support of the propellers'any desired number of which may be employed. The frames,

may be supported in parallel relation to each side of the main frame structure, and any suitable bracing or reinforcement may be resorted to to sustain them in the desired position for operation. The propellers and the individual supporting means for- .the propellers being identical throughout, the description of to all.

Each set of propellers includes a tubular shaft 40,'as best illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5- one set of propellers will apply i rection of rotation. It is obvious that if the shaft. The plates or bearing members 43 are provided With slots 45 for the accommodation of-grooved pulleys 46 one of which ismounted upon each shaft 44. The tubular shaft 40 is provided with a bracket member 47 wherein slides a bolt 48 having a terminal fork 49 in which a grooved pulley 50 is supported for rotation, said bolt being actuated by a spring 51 which is coiled between the bracket 47 and the nut 52 to force the pulley-carrying bolt away from the propeller-carrying shafts 44. The main frame structure of the machine carries counter shafts 53: equipped with pulleys 54, one of which is disposed in alinement With each of the tubular shafts 40, transmission bands, belts, chains or other flexible members 55 being guided over the pulleys 54, 46 and 50 passing} from the pulley 54-over the pulley 46 of the distant propeller-carrying shaft 44, thence over the tension pulley 50, thence over the pulley 46 of the near propeller-carrying shaft 44 and back to the pulley 54, from which motion will thus be transmitted to both propellercarrying shafts at diametrically opposite sides .of the tubular supportiiig shaft 40.

The flexible transmission member 55 will be kept under proper tension by the spring 51 actuating the bolt which carries the pulley 50, and the tension'may be regulated by means of the nut 52.

It will be; obvious that when all of the shafts 53 carrying the/pulleys54 are actuated, motion will be simultaneously transmitted to all of the propeller-carrying shafts. For the purpose of transmitting such ,motion, an endless chain 56-has been provided, the same being guided over sprocket wheels 57 upon the respective shafts 53 and over a sprocket Wheel 58 upon amotor-driven shaft 59. Idlers or tighteners, one of which has been shown at 60, may also be employed,

tubular shafts 40 be rotated about their, axes to tilt the propeller-carrying shafts 44 and the p ropellers,'the propulsion ill be in an inclined plane until the propeller shafts 44' assume a vertical position, when the move- ,ment will be either upward or downward, ac

cording to the direction of rotation in which the propellers are presented. For the purpose flexible endless member 61 being connected 5 From the foregoingdescription, taken in of thus adjusting the propellers, each of the tubular shafts 40 is equipped with a pulley and a' -flexible member'61 is passed serially around the several pulleys 60, being .wound once upon each of-said pulleys, said with a. Windlass 62,-by actuating which si-' multaneous adjustment of the entire series of tubularshafts may be effected. It will be understood, however, that each of the frames B may bemade to sustain two or more of vthe tubular shafts having propeller-carry connection with -the-,drawings hereto annexed, the operation and advantages of this invention will be readily understood. It will'be seen'that I have designed an aerial craft which will be sustained in flight partly by the buoyanc' of the gas contained in the.

tanks and part ysby the motor-driven propellers, whichlatter are capable of being adjusted for the purpose of governing the fiight upwardly, downwardly or laterally, jg. as may be desired. Rudder members or' plates may be rovided, as shown atg65, for

the purpose of facilitating thei'turning of the machine, and for the adjustment ofsaid rudder plates suitable means, such as crank shafts, may be provided. Itis obvious that no limitation is made to the precise arrangement of parts herein set forth or to the preciseinterior arrangement'of the hullwhich ma be subdivided into compartments on 7 "di erent plans, from the one herein de- .szribed. It is also desired to be understood" f fiat while no limitation is made with refer- "enceto the particular construction of the propellers, I {prefer to construct each propeller of two blades 67, the form of which will be best understood by reference to Figs.

6 and 7, said blades being composed of strips ofspecially rolled sheet metal, said sheets being relatively 'thick at the middle,

as shown at 68, and tapering toward the ends, two such sheets of suitableshape' and? dimensions being riveted, bolted or other**%.

wise secured together about ashaft 44, and

the'projecting ends of the sheets being bent divergently, as clearly seen in Fig. 8, soFas.

to form the wings or blades of the propel-e lers. Under this construction .grea't stre hi is obtained without excessive weight which is obviously important. The improved;

.craft, while primarily intended for aerial navigation may with equal efliciencybena'vi-k gated uponthe water, and it is indeed p're-"f ferred that the descent be made'f'upon' a lake, river or other sheet of water, whereinjurious impact of the surface with the frame structure-of the. tanks will be avoided.

Having thus described the invention-,what' is claimed asnew, is v 1. In an air ship, a frame structure and a plurality of cylindrical gas tanks arranged in pairs, in vertical series, said tanks being spaced apart laterally and the lowermost tanks having beveled ends, in combination with a propeller-carrying shaft supported intermediate the lowermost tanks, and driv- 'ing. means for said shaft.

2. In an air ship, a frame structure, a

plurality. of'gas tanks, said tanks being arranged in airs and said pairs of tanks in vertical series the tanksof each pair being spaced apart to afford intermediate accommodations, and two pairs of the vertical series being likewise spaced apart to-aiford accommodation therebetween. v

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT P. HALL. "Witnesses C. F. PERKINS, B. MAOREADY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained i301" five centscach, by addressing the Commissioner of latents,

' Washington, D. O." 

